Flower:

 Flowers are single on end of stout hairy stem, with 15-20 purplish pink to nearly white rays (petals), each 1½ to 3 inches long and less than ¼ inch wide, with three notched teeth at the tips. Petals grow out and up, hanging down with maturity. In the center is a large round reddish brown disk covered in tiny brown disk flowers with white pollen.

Leaves and stem:

Leaves are mostly basal, with stem leaves widely spaced and alternately attached on the lower half of the stem. Lower leaves are long and narrow, to 8 inches long, ½ to 1 inch wide, on long stalks, becoming smaller and stalkless as they ascend the stem. Edges are toothless and there are 3 distinct veins along the length. Stems and leaves are hairy and rough to the touch. Stems may be green or purple tinged, rarely branched.

Notes:

A native of eastern dry prairie, Pale Purple Coneflower is not common in the nursery trade but is widely offered in the native plant trade. It is not native to Minnesota but grows well here and is fairly common in roadside restoration plantings. It is similar to our native Echinacea angustifolia (Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower), which has shorter, broader ray petals and a slightly smaller stature overall. Another “wild” Echinacea offered in the natives trade is Bush's Coneflower, E. paradoxa, that has a similar flower structure but the petals are deep yellow.